@Geoman: Would really love to hear how some of my test CDs come over - Flim & The BB's, "Tricycle"; Jon Lord, "Sarabande"; or "The Power and the Majesty, Volume II [MFSL MFCD 812]". They should sound terrific, especially when you push the volume...although the last one might tax any chain to its limit

PS: Actually, your power amp is which?

If man would have been created out of the rib of a woman - how different would the world be?

I'm sorry that I don't contribute to the topic, but thanks for the hint to that nice piece of music.

I agree..

while we're on the subject of music, I recently heard Ravel's Rhapsodie Espagnole (again, I've had the recording for years).. there is a subtle xylophone lick in the last movement (Feria) that tickles my ear in just the right way. But It's hard for me to like Ravel too much... I had to play snare drum in his Bolero once, urgh.

Not sure where else to put this, got a new toy so I can play my records, a technics SL-bd20d. Guy threw in a preamp for free. Sounds really nice. I like the idea of having a needle moving a magnet through a coil. It matches well with the idea of a magnet moving a coil to move the air (i.e. speaker).

the first thing I played on it, just fyi

just ordered ting ting's "we started nothing" the red vinyl.. I'm playing cheap trick as I write this. my dad gave me all his old vinyl. I'm pretty sure his favourite groups were devo, kraftwerk, alan parsons project, etc. lots of boston and some b-52s in that crate, too. Also the mainstream stuff everybody has, rush, styx, etc. from the 70s. Not sure how big of a difference it makes, but most of this stuff is canadian releases (have you ever heard the group FM?)

A good friend gave me a NOS shure cart which I have since installed. I think it sounds better than the stock technics cart.. not tested scientifically, of course.